In the Quiet

+ J.M.J. When I was a little girl, I used to look forward to going to the fair. For months I would count down the days until it started. It was a state fair, with carnival rides, booths at which I could gaze at special merchandise, and tons of tantalizing food. The rides were what I looked forward to the most. Nothing filled my heart quite like going on all the rides that I liked. Back then, that's all it took to fill my heart with joy. Now that I'm older, it seems that life is a little more complicated, and with that transition, it seems to be more difficult to truly experience authentic joy. The example from my childhood is simple, but I think that authentic joy is simple. God wants us to be happy. If we experience great happiness from simple pleasures, that is from God. So why is it so hard to experience this now, in adulthood? Good question. I'm not sure I have the complete answer (I'm still trying to figure it out, and probably will be for the rest of my lif...

I can scarcely believe that it is already March. I had intended to compose a post about this month before now but alas, life in all its complications and joys has prevented it until now. So without further ado, let's examine this third month of 2013 and how we can employ it to the fullest of our abilities. For many of us, Spring Break will arrive in all its splendor around March 15th. I do have a final on the 20th, so it won't officially start until then, though the rest of my classes end on the 14th. This is the last month of Lent, as Easter Sunday is on March 31st. Oh I do look forward to getting on Facebook again. I have missed it very much, and even more so as e-mails keep pouring into my Inbox, reminding me that I have missed "so much" on that site. But have I? Have I really missed the ads, the chatter, and the constant barrage of information? Some, I do confess, but most often I find myself at peace and quiet with the world at large because of my abstinenc...

For Lent this year, I'm going to give up Facebook. It's going to be hard, but I really like Facebook, so it'll be a good sacrifice. For some people, having the thing that you gave up on Sundays makes the rest of the time harder; however, I'll be just giving it up for the whole forty days. I won't be getting on again until Easter. For my profile picture, I'm doing that pro-life one going around the night before Ash Wednesday. For my extra thing, I'm going to be reading the New Testament in the Bible. I don't know if I'll get all the way through it reading a chapter a day, but I should. Try to listen to at least an hour of Christian/Catholic artists a day in place of secular tunes. Some good artists include The Thirsting, Donna Cori Gibson, Eric Genuis, Christian radio stations like K-LOVE, and Ike Ndolo. Try to get to confession at least once this Lenten season. Your soul and Jesus will thank you for it. Remember that Easter will come quickly...

Don't post 10 different status updates in less than thirty minutes. You have to pace yourself. People will get annoyed if you keep blasting their Facebook News Feed with constant pictures, words, and illustrations. I have been guilty of this. I see interesting posts, I have a fast internet connection, and faster than you can say "over-posting", my poor friends are bombarded with way too much content. I liken this phenomena to an overzealous grandmother or aunt. They simply must show you all of the pictures of their grandson or niece. They pull out their wallet and begin to show you twenty pictures within the space of ten minutes. Pretty soon, your eyes are tired and so is your tongue from saying "how cute" and "just adorable" twenty times over. It's kind of like etiquette for online use. You know how you feel when someone has played a game or has gone on a mad sort of posting spree. You sigh, roll your eyes, and keep scrolling. It doesn'...